Kumabe-san: As the game isn’t balanced like an MMORPG, where certain content may be drastically more difficult unless you take on the challenge with a particular job, there really isn’t an ideal composition players need to abide by each time they team up with friends. Team NINJA took great care in adjusting the system to ensure that all of this was possible in the final product. We also wanted to give players the freedom to fully consider their job compositions and team synergy, and not be limited in their job selection. In multiplayer, however, each player has two jobs, so potentially we could have six jobs total in a single space, which could make it rather difficult for players to keep up with.ĭespite the difficulty (or chaos) having six jobs in one space would create, we felt it was important to create room for players to enjoy the game and show off various jobs in their own way. In single player, the companions basically have one job, and those controls can be imagined to some extent by the developer. Possibly the most challenging aspect to nailing our multiplayer experience was having our job system. Inoue-san: As we alluded to above, optimizing the multiplayer in SOPFFO was not an easy thing to do. The team is really pleased with the system we’ve created where players can progress with friends in multiplayer through trial and error, without fear of the party disbanding, even in the case of a wipe. Personally speaking, I was a core player of Final Fantasy XI, so that was a big reference for me, in terms of the synergy between companions and jobs to tackle formidable foes. Kumabe-san: The team drew inspiration from various sources for SOPFFO’s multiplayer, including Nioh, where the high difficulty in single player can be mitigated through multiplayer. We also considered a two-player co-op at one point, but felt that players would sense a high risk towards participation since the responsibility of failing a mission will unilaterally fall on the guest when participating, so ultimately, we decided three players would be best. Early on, though, we did consider the idea of a four-player co-op since we see a party of four in the original Final Fantasy, and it’s fun to romp about in multiplayer, but we found that the space could also get too chaotic when there are too many players. I had experience working on past games that also incorporated multiplayer, so from the get-go I was motivated to create something that would be enjoyable to play with friends. Inoue-san: From the very start of development, we knew we wanted to include multiplayer in the game. Developing multiplayer and the team’s inspirations At the same time, we aimed for a balance that ensures that the difficulty isn’t mitigated too much in multiplayer, so we made quite a few adjustments while having various staff try out the game. Even during solo gameplay, players have their NPC companions, so we aimed for a balance that gives a sense of the fun that awaits in multiplayer. Kumabe-san: We approached balancing both single and multiplayer together in parallel to ensure that both gameplay experiences would be fun for players. Teamwork is a big theme for SOPFFO, so even with more utilitarian systems like multiplayer, we were keen to have a lore-based approach, too. Inoue-san: Our in-world explanation for the multiplayer system is that your friends are sort of like Garland’s thoughts from a parallel world who are coming to save Jack in the host player’s world. Furthermore, the MP from performing Soul Burst on enemies, gear dropped by enemies and experience points earned will all carry over to each individual player, ensuring once the multiplayer session is over, everyone leaves feeling rewarded for their efforts. To make multiplayer enjoyable for everyone involved, mission progress will carry over for all players. Jobs and equipment will not be restricted by character for your companions during multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to freely determine your ideal party composition. Kumabe-san: In SOPFFO, the host player will control Jack, and the guest players will control the two companion NPCs which the host selected ahead of time (between Ash, Jed, Neon, and Sophia). To get your blood pumping, we wanted to shed some new light on how multiplayer is handled in our game. Your save data will carry over to the full game once it’s out, but even better, this demo supports three-player co-op, so there’s no reason why you and two friends shouldn’t get a head start on the action-packed battles to come. For those who are too excited to wait, we’re pleased to announce that a free demo is available for download right now. The release of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin’s (SOPFFO) is just around the corner on March 18.
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